Eastpointe firefighters take concessions in new pact

Eastpointe officials have approved a new 3-year contract with the fire department that calls for concessions and have agreed for the first time to contract for emergency medical services with a private ambulance company in moves that collectively will save the city close to $1 million a year.

The Eastpointe City Council voted 4-0 last week to approve the agreement with Eastpointe Firefighters Local 1561 that includes a wage cut, eliminates several paid holidays and implements changes in pension and medical benefits.

“The firefighters really put their neck on the line to support this and I think all of us realize we couldn’t just keep kicking the can down the road. We had to do something right now to save some money,” said Councilman Philip Guastella. “This was a huge step for them — and for the community.”

Highlights of the contract, which runs from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2014 and is not retroactive, include:

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* Eliminates four paid holidays — Good Friday, Presidents Day, day after Thanksgiving, and the firefighter’s birthday

* No pay raises for 2011 and 2013, and a 2.5-percent pay cut for 2012. As a result, firefighters’ pay will go from $60,563 last year to $59,049 this year and next. The same reduction applies to sergeants, lieutenants, captains, and the assistant chief

* Salaries for employees hired after July 1, 2011, will begin at $37,557 and reach $59,049 in 60 months

* For the first time, employees will contribute 5 percent into their pensions. Longevity is eliminated

* Firefighters hired after 2011, will not be eligible for retiree health insurance but instead will participate in a new health savings plan

* Change to a Community Blue 4 insurance plan that will eliminate some out-of-pocket expenses.

Also, the city will not fill three vacant positions in the department, leaving the manpower level at 18.

Councilwoman Wendy Richardson said the contract was not popular with the fire union, but she commends them for making long-term sacrifices.

“I can’t say enough about our firefighters,” Richardson said. “This really is in the best interest for the long-term health of Eastpointe.”

At the same time, the council also voted unanimously to negotiate a contract with Medstar Ambulance of Clinton Township to provide emergency medical services. The move is expected to save Eastpointe between $750,000 and $850,000 per year, according to city records.

Eastpointe fire crews will still run on emergency medical calls and accidents with paramedics on board, but will not transport patients to the hospital, freeing them of additional time-consuming paperwork and having to travel to the medical facility. After completing a run, the rigs will return to the station.

City Manager Steve Duchane said he has canceled a contract to purchase new ambulances and will continue studying merging fire services with neighboring Roseville or St. Clair Shores. Along with a new contract for the police department, the city is making headway on wiping out a $4 million budget deficit.

“This is a much better model than the one we’ve been using,” Duchane said of the contract’s new conditions. “We are here every day, trying to move the pile a little bit, working it every day.”

The firefighters voted to ratify the collective bargaining agreement on Sept. 24, according to city records. Union officers could not be reached for comment Sunday evening.

One firefighter who did not want to be named, said union members had little choice but to approve the pact, calling it a “sign of the times” in the tepid economy where falling property tax values have given municipalities less money to work with.

“We were trying to do our part to keep the city vital and stable,” the firefighter said.